In close collaboration with the associations Bon-dja São Tomé and ARCAR (Association for the Reintegration of Abandoned Minors and Minors at Risk), the Parentes Foundation started in October the course “Educational Action: good practices in education” for the management and staff of ARCAR. The online course began in October 2023 and will last until June 2024.
This training aims to deepen the understanding of a strong philosophy as a central support for the development of an educational strategy based on a mission-driven educational project. The course is tailored to suit the needs of ARCAR’s staff by Bon-dja São Tomé and is an opportunity for personal development, aimed at each teacher to better understand the importance of being a referent for their students and agents of change in their context with a direct impact on the community.
Over the last three months, the 42 course participants have explored key issues, from the responsibilities of a trainer working with children to the implementation of paediatric first aid, as well as aspects focused on the role of teachers such as classroom organisation, tutoring and strategies for engaging families. This certified online course, with the exception of two face-to-face sessions, has benefited from the valuable contribution of speakers with extensive experience in the field of education and social work.
The curriculum of the programme has been carefully developed together with the non-profit organisation Bon-dja, which promotes volunteering among young university students. After a year of working with ARCAR – to prepare the “Bon-dja Summer”, two weeks of summer activities for the 250 children of ARCAR – the organisation felt the need to further deepen their collaboration by finding ways to achieve a lasting impact on the community. They concluded that to improve the children’s education in the long term, it was essential to increase the level of teacher training.
Parentes Foundation joins this great initiative by providing the technical means, the experts and the necessary experience in education to teach the course sessions, which so far have been very positive for ARCAR’s staff. This association has three centres in Sao Tomé where they look after the education and social assistance of orphaned or vulnerable children.